About the Painter
In 1888, Monet began to paint works of art in series—among them, haystacks, Rouen Cathedral, and Venice—but by far the largest and most intense are his studies of light and water on the lily pond at his home in Giverny, France, where he and his family moved in 1883. While earlier versions of the lily pond show a more traditional landscape view of the bridge and surrounding garden, later works concentrate on the water’s surface, often blurring the lines between representation and abstraction. Monet engineered his lily pond with great precision, employing a gardener whose sole purpose was to maintain it. He set up his canvases on the bridge before dawn, which enabled him to take advantage of the early morning light. This is one of three versions purchased by Gwendoline Davies from the series.
MORE ABOUT THE PAINTING
Oil on canvas, 32 1/4 x 39 3/4 in.
Purchased by Gwendoline Davies, 1913
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
